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How Does Goldman Use Irony In The Princess Bride

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Palin Mondal Mr. Sideris ENL1W1-05 May, 20, 2024. Irony, literature’s a trick. Irony, when used in stories, acts as a fun or perplexing surprise and has readers rethinking what they once thought they knew, leaving readers astonished by changing their perspective on what they thought just happened. Irony is a key element used in stories such as “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman. In this book, irony is often used to make both the characters and the readers rethink what they knew, either revealing or hiding truth and shaking up their perspective on events. In the Princess Bride, Goldman uses irony to communicate that truth and irony link in a story when what we read isn’t always what is happening, through Vizzini’s conceited and egotistical natured death, as well as Buttercups minimization of …show more content…

The first way the author demonstrates irony and truth in the Princess Bride is through the conceited nature of Vizzini’s death. In the book, Vizzini is challenged by the masked man to a battle of wits. This “battle of wits” was a game that was played involving 2 chalices of wine, one with the poison and one without. The loser was to drink the chalice with the poison. Vizzini before and during this challenge continuously makes remarks on his own perceived intelligence, putting forward his egotistical and conceited nature saying things such as, “No one has challenged my mind in years and I love it” (as well as the entire page 135). Ironically, it was this foolish need to prove and demonstrate Vizzini’s intelligence, and his stupidity not realizing any limits which ended up being the cause of his death. As previously mentioned, truth and irony link in a story when what we read isn’t always what is happening. I feel this example demonstrates that so clearly. We read Vizzini talk on and on continuously about how smart he is, which in turn, makes

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